Do Ibanez basses have bad reputations in general

[Killing Floor]

Ever since the Davis parkway incident

 

[Koshchei]

Ibanez basses are incredibly good.

 

[M-Mittlesteadt]

I have owned several models of Ibanez basses and think the quality, fit, finish, playability, tone, etc. to be great even on their lower end of the price spectrum, be it 4, 5 and 6 string basses.

They aren't Fender-like, as in directly Fender and Squier, as well as all the Fender clones in body style and electronics. They are a more modern style, so traditionalists may shy away from them. but they can't say its because of a poor reputation.

This 6 string Ibanez continues to impress me. Especially in that it didn't cost anywhere near what they could have charged.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

They make good instruments, and they've been around for quite some time. I have zero bad experiences with them.

 

[mambo4]

Ibanez is for grandmas, not professionals

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Do Ibanez basses have a bad reputation with bass players, especially pro’s? I know there are a few signature models out there. I just read an article on redditt and it mainly said that outside of metal they are not really popular. Every music store I have ever been in sells them. I have owned a couple of their BTB line basses over the years that were great basses. I have noticed that NBD’s on here don’t usually consist of Ibanez basses. As a matter of fact, a line that receives its share of criticism, sterling by musicman seems to be more popular than Ibanez. Educate me with Ibanez. Is it quality control? Are they largely beginner basses? Is it their designs? As I’ve said, with my limited experience with the BTB series, those seem to be pretty solid.

I would say based on the post here, they are viewed positively.

 

[meisi]

Blame Fieldy.

lol.

 

[Jazzdogg]

Do Ibanez basses have a bad reputation with bass players, especially pro’s? I know there are a few signature models out there. I just read an article on redditt and it mainly said that outside of metal they are not really popular. Every music store I have ever been in sells them. I have owned a couple of their BTB line basses over the years that were great basses. I have noticed that NBD’s on here don’t usually consist of Ibanez basses. As a matter of fact, a line that receives its share of criticism, sterling by musicman seems to be more popular than Ibanez. Educate me with Ibanez. Is it quality control? Are they largely beginner basses? Is it their designs? As I’ve said, with my limited experience with the BTB series, those seem to be pretty solid.

What is Redditt?

 

[LiptonJigglers]

My experience with Ibanez has been pretty good.

I've had several early model 300s and an early 405 which was gorgeous and sounded lovely.

Would I have another ibanez again, yeah sure but the 405 would be my starting point. They just get better from that point onwards, although, one of my fav's was the gsr100ex.

My only gripes with Ibanez is the barrel jacks, the stacked pots and, as we move up into the higher price range, their colour scheme just look so frighteningly ugly. Ugly enough to the point of avoidance.

 

[ElectricBass72]

I've had good luck over the years with Ibanez basses............

 

[kcducttaper]

I have an Ibanez and I love it. There are plenty of bands that use Ibanez basses. Korn, Motionless in White, Love and Death, etc...

 

[CascadeBass]

ESP, Schecter, Dean = METAL.

Ibanez = jacks of all trades, and they do a great job with that in addition to having lots of more models that aren't maybe as jack-of-all-trades.

I'd love to have a single cut BTB or frankly any of their Bass Workshop items.

 

[CascadeBass]

Ibanez is for grandmas, not professionals

Grandma likes big pole pieces!

 

[MrAB4003]

They did in the 1960s and 1970s when they were copying American guitar and bass designs. But they reinvented themselves and made original models starting in the early 1980s and their reputation is quite solid today.

I owned an SR405 when I was a teenager. But I sold it because I didn't know how to properly use its active electronics or its low B string. Today, I'd own an Ibanez over a Fender because of their QC, especially in their higher end (Premium and Prestige) models. I'd consider a Premium or Prestige model if I wanted something with active electronics.

Plus, they're not only for metal bassists. They're for all bassists who want active electronics and prefer thinner necks. Gary Willis, the great Carol Kaye, and Gerald Veasley are all examples of non-metal bassists who play Ibanezes. I'd like to include Thundercat too, but he used to be in the band Suicidal Tendencies.

As for Reddit, let's just say there's a few reasons why I deleted my account a few years ago.

 

[MindinAction]

I don't have an Ibanez and haven't played one. Based on what I've seen from "just being around" here and on other sites, I think of them as a dependable, quality instrument. Will probably get an Ibanez when I finally get my fretless.

 

[MCS4]

I'm only semi-joking when I say I that I believe a lot of bassists had a bad experience or two with a bottom-level Soundgear bass that falsely impacted their view of the whole brand for way too long.

 

[ToddB1963]

Bad reputation? Certainly not with me...

1) My 1981 Ibanez RS824 Roadster (see pic below).

For straight up P tone, I prefer it to my CS 59 'Precision. Add the sonic versatility of a PJ, impeccable build quality, an extremely comfortable body, a 24-fret neck and one of the coolest looking headstocks ever made and I absolutely love it. One of my favorite basses of all time.

2) 40 years ago, I owned a 1980 MC824 Musician. Same deal - great bass, fantastic build quality, and much better sounding than the 1978 Fender Jazz bass that replaced it. In hindsight I should never have sold it. You live and learn...

 

[MDBass]

Do Ibanez basses have a bad reputation with bass players, especially pro’s? I know there are a few signature models out there. I just read an article on redditt and it mainly said that outside of metal they are not really popular. Every music store I have ever been in sells them. I have owned a couple of their BTB line basses over the years that were great basses. I have noticed that NBD’s on here don’t usually consist of Ibanez basses. As a matter of fact, a line that receives its share of criticism, sterling by musicman seems to be more popular than Ibanez. Educate me with Ibanez. Is it quality control? Are they largely beginner basses? Is it their designs? As I’ve said, with my limited experience with the BTB series, those seem to be pretty solid.

Ibanez is a massively popular brand, and their basses are arguably used more often by jazz virtuosos than they even are by metal bass players.

Whoever was posting in that Reddit thread wasn’t very well informed.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

They are superb basses. About the only one I found kind of "meh" was the Talman, it felt heavy and kind of clunky in my hands, but I'm used to SR series with super slim necks, and perfect balance. My only criticism of Ibanez is that they have TOO MANY models. It's hard to keep track of the often minute differences, and a lot of them seem to come and go quickly if they don't end up selling well. IMO they'd do well to pare the product line down a bit. I don't love the looks of the BTB line, but that's just personal taste.

 

[Just Wrong]

lol at people saying “consider your source,” as if TalkBass is any more reputable than Reddit.

Gary Willis and Thundercat are two non-metal bassists who play Ibanez. Gary Willis’s signature bass is amazing, and I would be first in line for a fretted model.

Also, I remember seeing a thread asking the age demographic of TBers and the majority was over 50. A lot of these guys love their boomer burst Fender Precisions with flats and think having to change the battery of their active basses is as much as an endeavour as fighting commies in Vietnam.